Police: Youth slain for rims



By Tania Valdemoro
Miami Bureau

June 24, 2004

HIALEAH · Police on Tuesday arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly killing a high school senior for his flashy wheel rims.

Police charged the boy with one count of felony murder and two counts of armed carjacking in connection with Robert Molina's death on June 12.

The boy allegedly shot Molina, 20, several times in the chest outside an apartment complex in Hialeah as Molina sat in his car talking to his girlfriend on a cell phone. He died at the scene.

The 17-year-old boy is part of a group in Hialeah who targeted drivers with expensive rims, said Chief Rolando Bolaños.

"This group was so young, so vicious and so determined to do harm," said Bolaños. "They assassinated Molina unnecessarily."

Police spokesman Frank Gonzalez said Molina drove a black 2004 Nissan Maxima with special spinning rims. The car also had Gucci seat covers and a television.

Police found the car disassembled four hours later in Carol City, said police spokesman Jose Caragol. The rims, tires, seat covers and television were missing.

The arrest of the 17-year-old relieved Molina's relatives.

"I feel at peace," said his mother, Graciela Molina. Molina was a student at Hialeah High School and played baseball in a local league, his mother said. "He had no enemies," she said.

Last week, police arrested four others who they say played a role in both Molina's carjacking and a May 26 carjacking in Hialeah.

At that time, two of the five members of the group allegedly forced a young man from his car at gunpoint, said police. They shot at the man but did not kill him, police said. The man fled, and the group took the car and stripped it of the rims and tires, they said.

Those arrested were: Alex Abreu, 19, on one count of felony murder and two counts of armed car jacking; Carlos "Piggy" Gautier, 18, who faces one count of armed car jacking; Rafael "New York" Gil, 18, on one count of felony murder and one count of conspiracy to commit armed car jacking; Andy "6 Pack" Hernandez, 19, on one count of felony murder, one count of armed car jacking and one count of conspiracy to commit armed carjacking.

Tania Valdemoro can be reached at tvaldemoro@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5006.


Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

Damn...wtf!?! What are people thinking these days???

 

Really...... 20 yrs old and still a HS senior. More studying and less bling would have that homey still breathing. Not that it's his fault those scum did the crime, but geez.......

 

Damn that sux - all for some rims

RIP

 

You gotta wonder how he afford the car too.

Stupid kids these days to take another life also.

 

You gotta figure that if he's a 20 year old kid with a Maxima and spinners while still in highschool, he's not completely legit. Meaning that this particular case could have been brought upon by other reasons that simply the car.

Just my 2 cents.

 

where the hell do you get gucci seats? i wish I could see this car, and a television? Maybe he was watching the wrong baseball game rooting for the wrong team in the wrong town.

 

The lesson learned is to not make yourself a target, esp. in high crime areas. Having a car you have to worry about all the time isn't worth it.

 

No matter how many precautions you take you can never be completely assured of your own security. You could be anyone, anywhere and for WHATEVER reason there could be someone that wants to harm you or steal from you. Gone are the days of safety and security in our world. Sounds pessimistic? Welcome to the real world.

However, this is no reason to live in constant fear or worry (most of us don't anyway because we forget what type of world we live in.) Furthermore, this is no reason to deprive ourselves of our right to have the freedom to buy what we want, live where we desire, and benefit in any way possible from our own success.

To hell with those who are sick, twisted, desperate, and who feel they can steal from and do harm to others while having a complete disregard for the law or the consequences.

Who knows why this guy was still in high school at age 20, and why he was driving a Maxima with spinners, and WHO cares. No one deserves to be gunned down for, what... some rims and a freakin' a/v system?

bla bla bla...

Makes me sick. I think I'll go throw up now.

 

If you read the article, his mother stated that he WAS a basketball player in high school. I don't think that they would allow anyone to stay in high school that long and not graduate.

I think that is not cool of you to poke fun at the poor guy for being murdered for his flashy tastes. I know that spinners and Gucci seats are gaudy but come on, have tad bit more respect for the guy that died.

One of my best friends was gunned down and murdered in just the same fashion 8 years ago. These type of sensless acts make me sick.

 

WE HAVE A WINNER

 

holy bling-bling, batman

but really I think thats plain stupid for someone to get killed like that just to steal whatever he had in his car. seems like ppl nowadays can't get thier own stuff. Despite the guy being 20 and still in High School, I'm sure he still would've planned out his future (college, etc..)

 

This is extremely disturbing. I hear about it in the news all the time of people getting killed in the southern states over spinners.

 

i agree.. those rims and tvs will get you no where in life unless you get an education... sad that he had to die for some rims and tvs...